LUNAR BOND: The Alpha's Luna

A Cinderella situation.

I rushed home immediately after leaving the school premises. School wasn't over yet, but I just couldn't return there. The embarrassment and shame I was feeling right now were immense. I'm not going back, not yet.

I reached for the doorknob silently, trying not to make any noise, but my spirits sank as I saw my Aunt Claire sitting on the couch, drinking alcohol at 1 o'clock in the freaking afternoon as usual.

"Alice?" She raised a brow as she stared at me perplexingly, setting her emptied whiskey glass on the table in front of her. "Why are you back so early?"

"Oh, I wasn't feeling so good, so I asked for permission to leave early," I lied smoothly.

"Really?" she eyed me suspiciously.

I nodded.

"Alright," she said, dismissing me with a hand wave.

Thank goodness, I could use some rest.

"Oh, Alice!" I knew it was very easy. I turned around to face her.

She held the refilled glass between her long, pale fingers. "Don't forget to take care of the laundry."

Again, I nodded without saying a word.

I started to leave, and then she threw over my shoulders, "Get dinner started by 5 p.m. I'll be leaving early tonight."

As if she ever really cooked. I sighed but said nothing before climbing up the stairs and disappearing inside my room.

Again, my life was, is, and still remains pathetic! I just told my aunt I wasn't feeling well, but she didn't even care enough to ask what the issue was. She hadn't even noticed that my eyes were swollen or that I had been crying. She never did anyway.

All she ever cared about were her twin devils, gambling, and alcohol.

At that moment, I felt like Cinderella, but this time with a wicked aunt and no freaking Prince Charming.

I miserably curled up on my bed, wincing as the memory of the earlier incident played in my mind. The pain was raking through me—a heart-wrenching one. How do I ever face my classmates, Dennis, and all who witnessed that horrifying spectacle?

I tugged hard at my ash-blonde hair, drawing a breath of frustration. I hated that stupid jerk. I hated my aunt for treating me with contempt, and I certainly hated my parents for passing away and not being there for me.

After some hours, I jolted awake from my nap. I felt perspiration pouring down my face and my heart pounding in my chest. So it was just a dream—a nightmare.

I was inside the woods, dread washing over me as I took long strides, running from God knows what.

I was unable to see who was chasing me, but low growling followed by snarls and howls filled the air, kind of like a dog. No, maybe a wolf? Yes, probably a wolf.

Why the hell did I dream about wolves again, and this time I was being chased? and it felt so real, too.

I should be the one doing the chasing, and Dennis should be the one running, for as it is, I want to throttle him. I waved the dream aside and got out of bed.

Afterwards, I did the laundry as Aunt Claire instructed and strolled sluggishly into the kitchen to get started on dinner. I noticed the twin devils weren't back yet from school.

I silently prayed that they hadn't heard about the whole embarrassing ordeal. It was a tall dream, but I can dream, right?

After thirty minutes, I was done with dinner, and at that moment, they made an appearance. Their usual loud chatter filled the air as soon as they entered the sitting room.

They were approaching me now, amusement written all over their eyes. They had definitely heard. Oh cr#p!

"Well, well, who do we have here?" said Cristabel, a faint mockery in her voice as she stared down at me.

She was the oldest of the twins, but the shorter one. She had strong facial features.

"Oh, it's the rejected one," her twin Annabel replied, her heart-shaped face regarding me with a disgusting look.

She was the better-looking twin but the dumber one.

With my gaze lowered, I kept doggedly silent, focusing my attention on wiping the kitchen counter with a rag, but I was struggling to piece it together.

"Is she ignoring us right now?" Anna snapped, stomping her feet on the floor.

"I think she is!" Her twin commented, glowering at me.

"What the heck is going on here?" Their mother strolled lazily inside the kitchen, to my utter dismay.

Thankfully, I was done. I drew in a tired breath, dropped the rag on the counter, and started to move.

"Mom, you'd never imagine what happened in school today," began Anna excitedly, and I immediately froze in my tracks, the scene of earlier beginning to flood my mind as she recalled everything to her mom.

Aunt Claire met my gaze. "So you thought a rat like you could date someone like Dennis?" Her head jolted forward belligerently. "Dennis, the heir to the Henney Group, the wealthiest family in Albertville, that Dennis?" She choked out a hysterical laugh. "Pathetic!"

My chest hurt with the force of my heartbeat. I knew I was pathetic; I knew I was a nobody, but they didn't have to remind me every two seconds.

"Do not bother, mom," Cristabel was standing right behind me now, "she got what she deserved."

"Exactly. Dennis put her in her place, and now the whole school is talking about her," Anna added blissfully.

I felt nauseous as dread coiled in my stomach. I couldn't take any more of their taunts. The embarrassment left me feeling utterly lifeless, and I wished I had the power to turn back time. I would never have given him that letter.

I reached for the stairs, running up hastily as the tears spilled freely from my green eyes. I was halfway up the stairs now. "You can't run from this disgrace." Anna was sneering after me.

Before entering my room, I heard her say in a regrettable tone, "I can't believe we're related to that loser!"

"Huh-un!" her twin added in disgust.

I collapsed on my bed, curling into a ball. Why did my life have to be this way?

I should have just shunned my feelings and gotten through this hellish year in peace.

But I needed to get through this year, and I'd be out of this stupid house. I had been saving the money I got from my weekend part-time jobs. Soon, I'll be able to leave here and move into my own apartment, away from those people who treat me worse than a maid.

The next day, I went to school embarrassed, hoping everyone would forget what happened the day before. But that wasn't the case. People were still making fun of me and whispering behind my back.

Every time I walked down the hallway, I sensed people's eyes on me, mocking and ridiculing me. It was as if the whole school knew about my letter and was determined to make me suffer. I put my hoodie over my face, shielding myself from curious gazes.

Harley had apologized over a hundred times today, but I assured her it wasn't her fault. And it wasn't. She wasn't responsible for Dennis being a jerk.

Speaking of that jerk, he was the reason I was in this predicament, but he didn't even see the need to apologize for being an asshole.

During class, whenever our eyes met, there was a hint of sardonic amusement in his eyes. The same as his friends. I was definitely a loser in their eyes. I just hope I never have to cross paths with the stupid golden fools.

During my lunch break, I didn't dare go to the cafeteria for fear of unwanted attention. Besides, everyone was talking about the stupid dance, and I'd had enough!

I decided to wander around the school, and although hunger pangs threatened to rupture my stomach, I settled for ice cream.

I was so absorbed in my scanty thoughts, drowning in misery with my ice cream loosely cupped around my fingers, that I hadn't paid attention to my surroundings and accidentally bumped into someone.

"Ughh." I bent over, a low groan escaping my lips in disappointment, as my cup of ice cream slipped from my hand and landed on... wait a damn minute! It was someone's shoe, and it looked hella expensive.

I gasped, opened my mouth, and covered my mouth with my hand. I had mistakenly spilled ice cream on someone's expensive-looking shoes.

"Are you blind?" a baritone voice, firm and low-raised, sending cold shivers down my spine.

I swallowed nervously, slowly bringing my green orbs upward. My eyes widened in shock to see the golden dummies glaring and standing right in front of me.

Oh cr#p! I spilled ice cream on freaking Dennis. Just my damn luck. Why me? Why is fate so cruel to me?

I straightened up, taking a deep breath. "I-uhm, I didn't see you... uhm... coming." I was stuttering, and I hated how tiny my voice came out in front of this devastatingly handsome hunk.

He gazed at me with growing irritation. "Well?" He ground his teeth in vexation and arched his brow expectantly.

I lifted my shoulders with an eye roll. "I'm sorry?"

"Oh, you're going to be," he said, mischievously looking at his friends, then his blue eyes met my gaze, "and you're not getting off easily."

I frowned in puzzlement, wondering what he was on about.

"Clean it," he ordered, a wry smile playing on his lips, "and use your tongue."

"What!" My eyes widened in scorned amazement. Certainly, he's lost all his brain cells.

"Well, come on," he said arrogantly,his voice calm, "lick it," emphasizing the last words.

I bit my tongue, an inaudible curse rising from my chest. At this point, fury threatened to smother me. Who the hell did he think he was, uttering such nonsense after the embarrassment he'd previously put me through?

On the spur of the moment, I bent over to pick up the ice cream cup from the ground and splashed it with all my might, straight onto his stupid face.

Uh-oh, what have I done?